Universally pivotal switch actuating device



Dec; 26, 1967 w. WARD 3,360,620

UNIVERSALLY PIVOTAL SWITCH ACTUATING DEVICE Filed March 30, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 74 FIG. 2. J 75 H 75 Dec. 26, 1967 w. E. WARD 3,360,620

UNIVERSALLY PIVOTAL SWITCH ACTUATING DEVICE Filed March 50, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 30, 1966 Dec. 26, 1967 w. E. WARD 3,360,620

UNIVERSALLY PIVOTAL SWITCH ACTUATING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fla. 4.

United States Patent 3,360,620 UNIVERSALLY PIVOTAL SWITCH ACTUATING DEVICE William Edward Ward, Clanfield, England, assignor to The Plessey Company Limited, Ilford, England, a British company Filed Mar. 30, 1966, Ser. No. 538,704 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 2, 1965, 14,114/65 12 Claims. (Cl. 200-61.28)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A lever actuated electric switch assembly in which a lever actuator is attached to a first structure which is pivoted to a second structure which in turn is pivoted on a fixed frame for movement about an axis transverse to the pivotal axis of the first structure. The fixed frame carries a plurality of electric switches having operating plungers which are selectively engageable by the first or second pivoted structures according to the direction of movement of the lever actuator.

This invention relates to electric switch assemblies. The invention is specifically directed to the provision of an electric switch assembly having an actuating mechanism in the form of a lever actuator arrangement for affording selective operation of the assembly switches.

According to the present invention the actuating mechanism of such a switch assembly comprises a lever actuator forming part of the gear change lever arrangement which is connected to a first pivoted structure pivotally mounted on a second pivoted structure which is itself pivotally mounted for movement about an axis transverse, preferably perpendicular, to the pivotal axis of the first pivoted structure and a plurality of switches arranged to be actuated in predetermined positions of the gear lever arrangement.

The pivoted structures may themselves constitute switch actuating structures.

The switches of the switch assembly are orientated for selective operation according to the direction of pivotal movement imparted to the two structures by appropriate displacement of the lever actuator.

In one mode of carrying out the invention, a first switch actuating structure may comprise a rectangular structure which has the lever actuator attached to it and which is pivotally mounted within a hollow rectangular structure constituting a second switch actuating structure with the pivoting means for the second switch actuating structure conveniently accommodating operating plungers for electric switches which extend through the walls of the actu ating structure and which may be selectively actuated by the first actuating structure for the selective operation of the last-mentioned switches. a

The switch assembly may be provided with further switching means which is arranged to be operated during the time when the lever actuator is being moved from one position to another. This switching means which may conveniently be embodied in the first actuating structure is especially contemplated in the case where the switch assembly is for use in the electrical control of an associated gear box with the operation of the further switching means being utilised for the disengagement of clutching means when changing from one gear to another or to neutral responsively to the actuation of the lever actuator.

By way of example only the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

3,360,620 Patented Dec. 26, 1967 FIGURE 1 is an underneath assembly;

FIGURES 2 and 3 are along the lines FIGURE 4 is a side view of another form of gear switch assembly according to the invention;

FIGURE 4a is a plan view of the pivoting plate structures of the assembly of FIGURE 4; and,

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the assembly of FIGURE view of one gear switch part cross-sectional views taken A-A and BB, respectively, in FIGURE Referring to FIGURES 1 to 3 of the drawings the actuating mechanism of the switch assembly comprises a lever actuator 1 having a hand knob 2 secured to its top end and coupled to a hollow rectangular switch actuating structure 3 of electrically insulating material which is pivotally mounted within a further hollow rectangular switch actuating structure 4 by means of pivot studs 5 and 6. The structure 4 is pivoted for movement about an axis perpendicular to the pivotal axis of the actuating structure 3 by means of brushes 7 which extend through the walls of the structure. These bushes 7 provide for the passage of operating plungers 8 for pairs of micro switches 9 and 10 arranged at the top and bottom of the switch assembly as viewed in FIGURE 1.

From the foregoing, it Will be appreciated that the lever actuator 1 can be pivoted about mutually perpendicular axes displaced from one another in the vertical direction of the assembly as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 3 to provide for gate selection of switches.

By referring to FIGURES l and 3 it will be seen that by the pivotal movement of the actuator 1 and structure 3 about the pivot studs 5 and 6 selective operation of pairs of switches 9 and 10 is effected in dependence upon the direction of pivoting. By referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2 it will be observed that by pivotally moving the lever actuator 1 and structure 3 about the bushes selective operation of further pairs of switches 11 and 12 is provided for.

For the purpose of indexing the switch assembly actuator mechanism in the various switching positions thereof, spring-urged ball indexing devices, such as the device 13 (FIGURE 3) and devices 14 (FIGURE 2) are provided with the spring-urged balls engaging indentations or recesses, such as recesses 15 (FIGURE 2) in the operative positions of the actuating mechanism so as to maintain the lever actuator 1 in any stable position to which it is moved.

The switch assembly also includes further switching means arranged to be operated so long as the lever actuator has hand pressure applied to it for moving the lever from one position thereof to another. This switching means in the present example is arranged at the bottom end of the lever actuator 1. Referring to FIGURE 3, the actuator 1 passes through a rubber block 16 so that the lever 1 pivots about this block in vertical planes to cause in applications where the switch assembly controls operation of a gear box. The operation of the further switching means is for the purpose of disengaging the clutch when the switch assembly is being operated to effect gear changing from one gear to another.

Turning now to FIGURES 4 and 5 these show in diagrammatic form a gear lever, operated switch assembly of especial application to the control of invalid carriages. The switches of the gear switch assembly may be arranged to control the electrical circuits of electric motors coupled up to the respective drive wheels of an invalid carriage to provide the requisite drive to the carriage.

Referring to FIGURES 4 and 5 the switch assembly comprises a lever actuator 21 with a hand knob 22. The lever actuator extends through a plate structure 23 which as can best be seen in FIGURE 4a pivots at 24 on a plate structure 25 which itself pivots at 26 in a cylindrical housing 27. The lower part of the lever actuator has a block 28 of nylon or other suitable insulating material secured to it and the bottom end of the actuator is recessed at 29 for accommodating a compression coil spring 39 acting on a ball bearing 31. In the central (normal) position of the lever actuator as indicated in the figures the spring loaded ball bearing 31 exerts pressure on the operating stud 32 of a micro switch 33 to maintain the switch in an operated condition. v

The pivoting of the lever actuator by the pivoted plate structures 23 and 25 provides for movement of the actuator in mutually perpendicular directions. However, the positions to which the actuator can be moved are determined by a recessed track 34 in which the spring-urged ball 31 is constrained to move. As will be appreciated from FIGURE 5 this track enables the lever actuator 21 to be moved upwards or downwards from the central position as viewed in the figure. When moved upwards the block 27 will actuate two micro switches, the operating buttons only of which are shown in the figure at 35 and 35, whereas, if the lever actuator hand knob is moved downwards two micro switches 37 and 38 will be operated. The track also provides for movement of the actuator knob to the right as viewed in thefigure and upwards and downwards from the right position in which case micro switches 39 and 46 having a common operating plunger 41 will be operated throughout while a potentiometer 42 will be operated in accordance with the movement of the lever actuator in the upwards or downwards directions. The latter is achieved by arranging that the insulating block 27 has a narrow part 43 which engages in the fork 44 of a pivoted forked arm 45. Rotation of the pivoted arm 45 in response to upwards or downwards movement of the lever actuator knob 22 as viewed in FIGURE 5 causes a tapping wiper to move over the turns of wire of the potentiometer 42, A spring arm 46 acts tobias the arm 45 to its central position as shown and in this position a spring-urged ball bearing 47 engages with an indent to hold the arm 45 inits central position. I It the lever actuator knob 22 is moved to the left as viewed in FIGURE 5 then two micro switches, the operating buttons of which are shown at 48 and 49, will be operated. I

As can best be seen from FIGURE 4 the track 34 which is preferably formed in a block of nylon is concave the curvature being such that as the lever actuator 21 is moved away from its central position the ball-bearing 31 is forced upwards against the action of the compression spring 30. Consequently the force exerted by the spring on to the ball 31 has a component tending to restore the lever actuator to its normal position. A conical coil spring 59 acting on the top end of the lever actuator and mounted within a bellows shroud 51 also acts to return the lever to its central position.

The various switches of the assembly and potentiometer 42. may be used for controlling the armature and field circuits of a pair of motors for driving the respective main drive wheels of an invalid carriage. A further switch 52 is provided in the present example which can be selectively operated by a person in the carriage to provide slow or fast speed operation of the motors by the connection of the motor armatures in series or parallel as the case may be.

The switch 33 when operated can serve to disable the motors so that immediately the lever actuator is returned to its central position, as in the case where the lever actuator 21 is released for any reason, the switch 33 operates and the carriage is brought to a standstill principally by the gearing between the drive wheels and the motors.

It is also contemplated however that the pivoted plate structures of the assembly could be replaced by a ball and socket joint.

What I claim is:

1. An electric switch assembly comprising a lever actuator, a first pivoted structure to which the lever actuator is attached, a second pivoted structure'on which said first structure is pivotally mounted, a fixed frame structure on which said second structure pivots, said pivot axis of said first structure being transverse to said pivot axis of said second structure, and a plurality of electric switches carried by said fixed frame structure and having operating plungers, at least one of said plungers being engageable by said first pivoted structure and at least another of said plungers being engageab-le by said second pivoted structure according to the direction of movement of the lever actuator each of said plungers being depressible in a plane which includes the plane of movement of the pivoted structure by which it is engaged.

2. An electric switch assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the first pivoted structure is located within the second pivoted structure, said second pivoted structure being of hollow rectangular form, at least some of said plungers extending through the wall of said second structure proximate to said first structure, whereby said first pivoted structure selectively actuates said proximate operating plungers.

3. An electric switch assembly as claimed in claim 2, comprising bushes insaid second pivoted structure through which said operating plungers pass and which provide pivots for said second pivoted structure on said fixed frame structure for the pivoting of the second structure about an axis perpendicular to the pivotal axis of the first structure.

4. An electric switch assembly as claimed in claim 1 comprising a switch located at the bottom end of the lever actuator and operable in response to movement of the lever actuator from one position thereof to another.

5. An electric switch assembly as claimed in claim 4, in which the switching means is contained within the first pivoted structure which comprises a hollow rectangular member into which the lever actuator projects a resilient block mounted in said first structure and carrying said lever actuator, a moving contact of the switching means insulatingly mounted on said lever actuator and a fixed contact carried by the first structure and contacted by said moving contact when the lever is being moved from one position to another by virtue of the resilience of the resilient block.

6. An electric switch assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the first and second pivoted structures comp-rise two plate structures through the first of which the lever actuator extends, said plate structures being pivoted for movement about mutually perpendicular axes in the same or parallel planes.

'7. An electric switch assembly as claimed in claim 6, including track means in which the bottom end of the lever actuator is constrained to move.

8. An electric switch assembly as claimed in claim 6, in which the lever actuator includes a block portion which selectively engages with the operating plungers of electric switches in various positions of the lever actuator.

9. An electric switch assembly as claimed in claim 5, including a pivoted arm and a potentiometer adapted to be controlled by said arm, said block portion engaging said arm for adjusting said potentiometer in response to movement of the lever actuator between predetermined positions thereof.

10. An electric switch assembly as claimed in claim 1, in'which the bottom of the lever actuator carries a springloaded ball and said frame has a concave surface engaged by said ball, said curvature being such that restoring force is applied to the lever actuator to return it to a normal position when the actuator is moved from said position.

11. An electric switch assembly as claimed in claim 10, in which a coil spring acts on the lever actuator to restore it to its normal position.

12. An electric switch assembly as claimed in claim 10, in which the spring-urged ball operates a switch in the normal position of the lever actuator.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,829,037 10/ 1931 Bobroif.

2,379,778 7/1945 Allen.

2,396,309 3/1946 Wodal.

2,747,035 5/ 1956 Hansen.

3,095,754 7/1963 Mayon et a1. 7447l BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner. H. A. LEWITTER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTRIC SWITCH ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A LEVER ACTUATOR, A FIRST PIVOTED STRUCTURE TO WHICH THE LEVER ACTUATOR IS ATTACHED, A SECOND PIVOTED STRUCTURE ON WHICH SAID FIRST STRUCTURE IS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED, A FIXED FRAME STRUCTURE ON WHICH SAID SECOND STRUCTURE PIVOTS, SAID PIVOT SAID AXIS OF SAID FIRST STRUCTURE BEING TRANSVERSE TO SAID PIVOT AXIS OF SAID SECOND STRUCTURE, AND A PLURALITY OF ELECTRIC SWITCHES CARRIED BY SAID FIXED FRAME STRUCTURE AND HAVING OPERATING PLUNGERS, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PLUNGERS BEING ENGAGEABLE 